Bush, GOP mired in political quicksand (NBC/WSJ poll)

Bush, GOP mired in political quicksand
NBC/WSJ poll shows president at new lows in all job approval categories

WASHINGTON - Democrats might be overstating that their gubernatorial victories Tuesday in New Jersey and Virginia are glaring signs for next year's midterm congressional elections and beyond, but one thing is pretty clear: President Bush and the GOP seem to be mired in political quicksand.

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, released Wednesday night, finds that all five of Bush's job approval ratings - on overall job performance, the economy, foreign policy, terrorism and Iraq - are at all-time lows in the survey. In addition, the CIA leak scandal seems to be taking a toll on the administration, with nearly 80 percent believing the indictment of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is a serious matter, and with Bush experiencing a 17-point drop since January in those who see him as honest and straightforward.

With the midterms a year away, these numbers could spell trouble for the GOP. "These are not good times for Republicans," says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart. "This is a very unhappy electorate that's going to be unstable, and they are terrifically unstable numbers for a Republican majority."

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According to the poll, Bush's approval rating stands at an all-time low of 38 percent, a one-point decline since October; in fact, this is the third consecutive NBC/Journal survey showing Bush at an all-time low on his job approval. And it doesn't stop there: Approval for his handling of the economy (34 percent), foreign policy (35 percent), terrorism (39 percent), and Iraq (32 percent) have all hit rock bottom.

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